DMK picks Udhayanidhi Stalin as Leader of Opposition, setting stage for face-off with Vijay

Udhay’s main adversary will be Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as they were friends for a long time but fell out a couple of years ago.

Chennai: Former Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has been elected as the DMK Legislature Party leader, making him the Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Former ministers K N Nehru will be the deputy leader and E V Velu will be the whip.

This marks a generational shift in leadership in the DMK and hints at the party's succession plan. Udhay’s main adversary will be Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay – they were friends for a long time but fell out a couple of years ago.

Udhay was elected for the second time from the Chepauk-Tiruvallikeni assembly constituency. Though there were suggestions that Udhay should step back and allow seniors, who have experience in the opposition, to take over as LoP, the DMK decided otherwise. 

Udhay has had a meteoric rise in the DMK, having got four promotions in about seven years – he was appointed youth wing secretary in 2019, got elected as MLA in 2021, made a minister in 2022, and elevated as deputy chief minister in 2024.

As LoP, Udhay has to draft DMK’s responses to the TVK government and keep up the tradition of his party being vibrant while sitting in opposition benches.